Celluloid article and method of making same



c. R. KEERAN 1,985,997

CELLULOID ARTICLE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Jan. 1, 1935.

Filed June 29, 1932 a: lzuvziart 6'54 TING Ill Patented Jan. 1, 1935UNITED STATES ARTICLE AND D IETHOD F M'AKING SAME 'Charles R. Keeran,Evanston, Ill., assignor to- Dupont Viscoloid Company, Wilmington, DeL,a corporation of Delaware Application June 29, 1932, Serial No. 619,868.

3Claims.

to form a substantially integral tubular casing.

A further object is to devise a method that is simple and which permitsof economical manufacture. The invention consists in the combination ofelements and in the steps of the process of combining .them, as hereinshown and described, and as indicated by the claims.

In the drawing:

.Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of apparatus for carryingout one phase of 20 my invention.

Figure 2 illustrates a method similar to that of Figured, except thatthe heating means is supplied for the strip material and it is wound ona temporary mandrel.

Figure 3 illustrates a method of binding a-plurality of strips ofcelluloid helically on a mounting member by means of apparatus similarto that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 illustrates rather diagrammatically 30 apparatus for carryingout a modification of the process in which the celluloid strips aresecured longitudinallyto the mounting member.

Figure 5 is a transverse section through the apparatus taken asindicated at line 5 5 on Figure 4.

Figure 6 discloses apparatus for carrying out afurther modification ofmy process.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic sectional view illustrating the relation ofthe strips of celluloid to a I .40 mounting member just prior to theirentry into the heating chamber of the apparatus shown in Figure 6. l

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a finished tubular memberproduced by the method employing either the apparatus shown in Fig- .ure4 orthat shown in Figure 6. i

There are various methods and processes for making tubular casings ofcelluloid and like mate rial. For example, one inexpensive method isthat of extrusion, but by this process any design, configuration ormottling efiect in the material is practically destroyed or is alteredin a. manner which cannot be controlled. An original design or mottlingof the material may be retained by a process which consists in firstmoldmg a solid piece, cutting it to a desired size, and a then finishingit interiorly and exteriorly, but this method results in aconsiderablewaste of material and consequent increase in cost. I have devised amethod for economically making celluloid 5 casings for objects such aspencil barrels, fountaimpens and the like, that will ensure theretention of any coloring, design or mottling that may be originallypresent in the material. It will be seen from the drawing and thefollowing ill description that my improved method is subject to variousmodifications, all of which employ the basic principle of utilizingstrip material which may be of relatively thin stock. The apparatus ismerely shown diagrammatically in the draw- 15 ing to illustrate avariety of methods ,by which the process may be carried out.

V Figure 1 illustrates the method of winding strip celluloid materialhelically on a mounting memher and shows a reel, 10, of strip material,11, 20

which is disposed obliquely to the axis of the mounting member, 12, saidmember being indicated as a tube on which the strip, 11, is wound toform coils, 13, with their marginal edges abutting each other. The angleat which the cellu- 2.5 loid strip is fed onto the mounting member asthe latter rotates about its axis, isdetermined by the width of saidstrip and the diameter of the member, 12. This tubular member, 12, may

be of'any suitable material, such as metal, composition, paper orcelluloid, and when covered by this method is preferably cylindrical. Itmay be understood that any suitable mechanism will be provided forrotating the mounting member, 12, and simultaneously feeding it inthedirection of its axis, as indicated respectivelvby the or- .rows, Aand B, in the drawing. The surface of the strip celluloid that is tocontact with the mounting member is coatedwith a solvent, such asacetone, applied by a pad or brush, indicated 40 at 14, as it is fed oilthe reel, 10, so as to render one surface of the strip adhesive forsecurement to the mounting member, 12. The rotation and longitudinalfeed of said member, 12, controls the feeding and winding of thecelluloid strip there-. on. A roller,- 15, may be positioned between thereel, 10, and the mounting member, 12, to engage one edge of the strip,11, for guiding. the latter onto the mounting member and ensuring-thatthe coils shall abut eachother. A secondroller, 16, is shown with itsaxis parallel to that oi the member, 12, and with its surface engagingthe strip, 7 11, as it contacts With the mounting member so as to pressit firmly against the latter to cause its prompt adhesion thereto. 7

Adjacent the roller, 16, there is mounted a pad or brush, indicated at17, for applying acetone to the abutting marginal edges of the coils,13, as they are formed; the acetone, being a solvent for celluloid,softens these marginal portions of the coils, causing the material toflow into any shorter lengths, if desired, to' meet the particularrequirements of use. A light finishing coatinay be taken off thesurfacepf the tubular casing in a lathe, or similar machine, if desired,so that the final product will appear as though turned from solid stock,the welded or fused connection between the abutting coils beingsubstantially invisible, unless the pattern or configuration ofthematerial itself renders it noticeable.

It may be understood that the celluloid strip material employed in thisprocess is'cut from sheets of rolled celluloid and may be formed withcertain multi-colored patterns or mottled effects, which serve adecorative purpose, and which are thus retained unimpaired in formingthe strip material intoa tubular casing by any improved method. And thiscelluloid strip material may be made quite thin, as there is practicallyno portion of it to be cut awayas waste except in the final-finishingcut; and this is particularly true where a mounting member, 12, is

employed as the structural support for the dec-.

orative celluloid casing.

It will also be evident that if desired the celluloid tubing may beformed of helical wound strip material without including a tubule.mounting member as apart of the finished /product. For this purpose atemporary mandrel, 12, is substituted for the mounting member, 12, asindicated in Figure 2, and instead ofapplying acetone to the side of thestrip which is to form the in terior of the tube, t e brush, 14, isomitted from the apparatus and a heating element, such as an electricheating coil, 14 is disposed adjacent the strip material as /-it comesoiT the reel, '10.

This heat treatment reduces the resilience. of the material temporarily,so that as it is coiled'helically on the mandrel, 12', and then movesthereon, it takes a permanent "set with the coils in closely abuttingrelation. If desired, the acetone,

may be applied to the abutting edges of'the coils on the mandrel, 12 asindicated by the position of the brush diagrammatically shown. at 11 mFigure 2; but, if preferred, the coil may beper mitted to coolcompletely, and maybe removed from the mandrel, 12*, before thecementing,

treatment. If handled in relatively short lengths, these lengths may bedipped in the acetone to soften all exposed surfaces, and then permittedto dry, whereupon it will be, found that the abutting coils have becomefused together. narily, where no mounting member is to befie'rt in thetubing, the thickness of the strip material will. be slightly greaterthan that which is merely wrapped onto a mounting member, as in"theprocess of Figure 1, b ut the general principle of the process isthesame.

Figure 3 illust a methodof inter-helieaily winding two or strips ofcelluloid material on a mounting member, 20. The strips, as shown, areof contrasting. colors, the strip, 21 being indicated as white, and thesin-19,22. as red, and

they are handled by the apparatus as a single strip, being fed parallelto each other onto the mounting member in substantially the same manneras the single strip, 11, is fed onto the mounting member, 12, as shownin Figure 1. It will be evident that three, or even more, strips ofcontrasting-colors may be similarly applied. Figures 4 and 5 illustratea modified method of carrying out the process in which the strips ofcelluloid are secured longitudinally instead of helicallyp They areshown applied to a mounting: member, .25, to form a polyhedral ormultifaced casing, which is illustrated as octagonal. The mountingmember, 25, is originally in the form-of a cylindrical tube, preferablyof celluloid orother material susceptible of deformation. It

direction. This solvent softens the outer surface of the mountingmember, rendering it gummy;

adhesive, and in condition to be deformed by the application ofpressure. Axially spaced along the mounting member, forwardly of thecoating apparatus, 26, are two batteries of four reels each, of

celluloid strip material, 27. As shown in the drawing, the reels ofone-battery are positioned g 90 degrees apart, and the reels of theother battery are also spaced '90 degrees apart, but ofiset 45 degreeswith respect to the reels of the first battery, so that strip celluloidmay be thus fed onto the mounting member, 25, in eight equiangularlyspaced planes, as shown in Figure 4, so as to form an octagonal casing.The celluloid strips may be of any, colors or combinations of color,and, as herein shown, and merely by way of illustration, the stripcelluloid ofthe battery of reels positioned further forward in-thedirection of movement of'the tube, 25, is lined to indicate blue.- Anysuitable design or surface pattern may be formed in e strip material,and will be retained unimp in the finished Product. 1 g

A brush or pad, 28, is positioned for contact with the under surface ofeach strip as it feeds off the reel, so that these surfaces arecoatedwlth acetone to insure adhesion of the strips to the mountingmember, 25. Associetedwith each set oi! reels I provide pressurerollers, 29, which not only operate to press the strip material againstthe mounting member, 25, but also exert suflicient pressure to slightlydeform the outer surface of the cylinder, 25, flattening it to give themounting member octagonal cross-section, andto permit the several stripsof celluloid to be fitted snugly thereon. when thus fitted, the

edges'of the strips abut each other, as shown in Figure 7, and thesoftenedsurfaces of the strips adjacent these edges are forced together,fusing the strips, intman integral enclosing casing for the part 2%;.The,assembledstructure is. then drawn through a final forming die, 30,to rectify any-inaccuracies in its shape. Preferably, for

this type of assembly, the lateral edges of the strips may be slightlybeveled, so that they shall flt better in their assembled abuttingrelation and form a closed sharp corner, as seen in Fig-. ure '1.' Thisintegral tubular member may be made up in any convenient length and thencut into shorter lengths for final, use, if desired.

ordinarily, it will require no further finishing of the exterior orinterior surface. Figure 6 illustrates a slight modification of the ofpolygonally related faces. As shown, two batteries of four reels eachare provided for supplying the celluloidstrips, 36, and these batteriesare arranged substantially as in Figure 4, to'

produce an eight-sided surface. A brush or pad, 37, may be arranged tocoat the inner surface of each strip with acetone, or similar solvent,as the material approaches the tubular mounting member, 35, and pressurerollers, 38, are positioned to ensure initial adhesion of the strips.Beyond the rollers, 38, the mounting member with the stripping appliedis fed through a heating chamber, 39, which softens the material,rendering the cylindrical member, 35, suificiently ductile so that as itemerges from the heating chamber a set of pressure rollers, 40, arrangedin diametrically disposed pairs, will serve to force the strips morefirmly onto the mounting member, and at the same time deform thecelluloid of the'latter to produce a shape similar to that shownin'Figure 7. This step is completed by passing the material through thefinal forming die, 41, corresponding to the die, 30, of Figure 3.

It will be evident that in some instances where the mounting member isof tubular stock, as.

surface. The provision of such a mandrel and a means for supporting itare matters well understood by those skilled in' the art, and need'not'be shown or described in detail.

Iclaim: 1. The method of making a tubular article which consists inwinding strip celluloidheli'cally upon a relatively rigid unitarytubular mounting member, with. the marginal edges of the stripsubstantially in abutting contact, uniting said strip with the mountingmember, and uniting said edges to form an integral casing for themounting member; thus to provide a laminated tube with its outerlamination helically wound about an inner'lamination in unitary-tubeform.

2. The method of making a tube from strip celluloid or similarsemi-rigid material which method comprises feeding the material with theedges thereof opposed, on to a longitudinally extending supportassociated with a surrounding forming die for contact with the material,and advancing the support and said material through said forming. die,thereby to crowd said edges together face-to-face.

3. The method of making a multi-colored tubular article which consistsin helical-1y winding two or more strips, arranged edge to edge as fedand of contrasting colored celluloid or like material, onto a relativelyrigid unitary tubular mounting member, uniting said strips withthemounting member, and uniting said edges, thus to form an integral casingfor the mounting member, thus to provide a laminated article with itsouter lamination helically wound about an inner lamination in unitarytubular form.

CHARLES R. KEERAN.

